The present invention relates to an arrangement for converting a multi-track, closely packed stream of bottles or other containers into a plurality of parallel rows of containers, with such rows being separated from one another by parallel, spaced-apart separating elements, and with the number of such rows being equal to the number of tracks of the stream of containers. A feed mechanism is provided for conveying the containers and a withdrawal mechanism is provided downstream of the feed mechanism. The withdrawal mechanism is divided by the separating elements, which extend in the conveying direction of the withdrawal mechanism, into a plurality of lanes, one for each of the rows of containers. The withdrawal mechanism has a conveying width that is greater than the conveying width of the feed mechanism. A transition zone is disposed between the feed mechanism and the withdrawal mechanism, and serves to distribute the containers of the multi-track stream into the individual lanes of the withdrawal mechanism. The transition zone is formed by the upper lengths of a plurality of conveyer bands that are disposed in the conveying direction and, transverse to this direction, are disposed next to one another.
Within the context of the present invention, a "multi-track, closely packed stream of containers" means a stream in which the containers are either actually tightly packed together in a plurality of tracks or rows, i.e. their peripheral surfaces rest against one another, or at least the configuration of the element that conveys this stream of containers provides the possibility that the peripheral surfaces of the containers of different rows or tracks can directly contact one another. In contrast, "rows of containers that are separated from one another" means that the containers of a given row are respectively accommodated by a lane of the withdrawal mechanism, with the containers of one lane being separated by a separating element from the containers of an adjacent lane.
An arrangement of the aforementioned type serves in particular to form, from a conveyed stream of containers, the container rows that are necessary for a container-packing machine.
With one known arrangement (German Patent No. 12 67 592 Rudert dated Jan. 2, 1969 and belonging to Enzinger-Union-Werke of Mannheim, West-Germany) that is provided for this purpose, the containers are supplied as a single-track stream of containers to a container back-up table that is formed by a plurality of adjacent conveyer bands that are driven in an endlessly circulating manner, with the conveying direction of the bands being disposed at right angles to the conveying direction of the feed mechanism, so that the containers undergo a 90.degree. change in movement when they are transferred to the container back-up table. The conveyer bands that form this table are disposed parallel to one another over the entire length of the table, so that adjacent conveyer bands are only slightly and uniformly spaced from one another over the entire length of the table.
After the containers have been transferred from the feed mechanism, they are formed on the back-up table into a more or less closely packed stream of containers in which the respectively subsequent containers rest under pressure against the preceding containers; the stream of containers is delimited by two side guide railings that determine the conveying width of the back-up table. After passing a transition zone, during the course of which the conveying width of the back-up table increases, the containers are moved into parallel lanes that are formed at the end of the back-up table and are respectively separated from one another by separating elements or partitions; a plurality of container rows that are separated from one another are thus formed. The number of lanes is the same as the number of tracks that the container stream has before it reaches the transition zone or during the time that it passes this transition zone. Since the containers in the more or less tightly packed container stream inevitably assume an approximately honeycombed formation due to their circular cross-sectional peripheral shape, with each container of a given track being staggered relative to the containers of an adjacent track, in order to transfer the containers into the individual lanes, it is an absolute necessity with the heretofore known arrangement that the containers of at least the outer tracks of the multi-track container stream be pressed to the side by subsequent containers, and that those containers that do not enter a lane purely by chance after they pass the transition zone be guided or introduced into the next lane by the pressure of the subsequent containers.
An important, functionally caused drawback of the heretofore known arrangement is therefore first of all that impacts, and therefore a high noise level, cannot be avoided between the individual containers, especially in the region of the transition zone, and also during introduction of the containers into the individual lanes. Another drawback of the heretofore known arrangement is that due to the introduction of the containers into the individual lanes under pressure, it is impossible to prevent a number of containers from wedging against one another at the inlet of, for example, a lane in such a way that it is no longer possible to introduce the containers into this lane. For the aforementioned reasons, the output efficiency that can be achieved with the heretofore known arrangement is also limited.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to improve an arrangement of the aforementioned general type in such a way that a conversion of the conveyed stream of containers into rows of containers that are separated from one another can be effected in a manner that is free of impact and pressure.